Foul Ball, Fair Play  – Plus, Savages, Zone 2 Exercise & The WNBA

1. Savages — Don Winslow

First time reading Don Winslow, and I really enjoyed it. Fast-paced and fun with copious amounts of drugs, sex and violence. As I noted last week, sometimes you simply read for pleasure, and this one checked that box for me.

2. Zone 2 Exercise

At our gym, FitWit, we mostly program for the average 30–60-year-old. That means strength work (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry), mobility, and conditioning (varying between Zones 3–5).

And I think that’s a great weekly plan for just about every parent.

One thing that might be missing? Longer, sustained cardiovascular exercise to build an aerobic base.

Here are my two favorite ways to get 30–60 minutes of Zone 2 work (you can still carry on a conversation, but you’re breathing harder than normal):

1. Incline treadmill walking
2. Rucking outdoors with a weighted backpack

Both can be easier on the joints than jogging, and you can adjust your speed, incline, or load to get your heart rate up and keep it there.

3. Sports Mindset

WNBA star Gabby Williams recently dropped an epic postgame interview with a mindset lesson every young athlete can learn from.

Discussing the fact that she missed a few easy shots, she said:

“I thought: If I put a smile on my face, my shoulders will go up, my head will stay high and I’ll hit the next one.”

I love that. Change your body language, change your performance. Watch the 30-second video here.

Also, if you haven’t been watching the WNBA playoffs, they’ve been great. The level of play has improved so much in just the past few years.

“Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy.” — Robert A. Heinlein

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“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity.” — Senecca

Foul Ball, Fair Play

Last week in Atlanta, a Dodgers fan caught a foul ball in the NLDS. A toddler in a Braves jersey sat a few rows back. The fans around the man begged him to hand it over. He said no. Social media picked sides.

Here’s what stood out to me. Nobody wrestled for the ball. The boy was a few rows back and, to me, not even looking all that interested. And still, some people called the guy selfish. Thankfully, plenty of folks on the internets had his back.

Now, it’s a different conversation if he’d snatched it from the kid. Or if the boy’s parents had sent him over to ask for it. As far as I know, neither happened. It was just a group of well-meaning Braves fans who felt he owed the kid the ball. That’s where I have beef.

(Fine, I may still be carrying some resentment from 1995, when the Braves beat my Cleveland Indians in the World Series.)

If I’m that dad, here’s how the talk with my boy goes:

“Man, we were so close to that one. Look how happy he is, though. I bet he’s been trying to catch one since he was your age.”

“I know you’re bummed. But it’s pretty cool for that dude, right?!”

Daily life with kids is full of moments like this. They’re chances to teach perspective. Sometimes the lesson is that we don’t always get what we want. Even harder, sometimes somebody else gets what we want. NO FAIR!

But guess what? It’s our job to help them work through that early. Because the stakes only get bigger:

At 13: Your friends get invited to something and you don’t.

At 18: Someone else gets into the college you wanted.

At 30: Someone else gets the promotion you were going for.

In my experience, there’s no secret strategy. You just keep your eyes and ears peeled for teachable moments.

When these moments hit, we get to tell our kids that disappointment is normal. It’s okay to feel it. BUT someone else getting what you wanted doesn’t automatically mean you’ve been treated unfairly. And when our kids start confusing the two, batter up. That’s our opening to teach.

And even if our Dodgers fan had decided on his own to give the ball to the boy, that’s a teaching moment too. We get to talk about gratitude and accepting a gift graciously. Because there’s a big difference between appreciating someone’s generosity and expecting it.

Dodgers fan, you’re off the hook in my book. But that bloated Dodgers’ payroll creating a super team? Not so much.

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Thanks for reading, dads.

Let’s make this time count!